Westerhus – Børnenes tænder

Westerhus. The dentitions of the children By Verner Alexandersen and Elisabeth Iregren In Westerhus on the island of Frösö in Jämtland the childhood was a stressful period with high mortality. In this study the living conditions of the children are discussed on the basis of the age distribution of infants, the prevalence of enamel hypoplasia and the tooth size of deciduous and permanent teeth. Gejvall’s age distribution of infants dying in the neonatal and the postneonatal periods was confirmed using both the atlas and the metric method of age assessment although the peak mortality in the age interval from 3-6 months was not as pronounced as suggested by Gejvall. The mortality in the postneonatal period is ascribed to infectious diseases and early supplement to breast-feeding with complementary foods. Various types of enamel hypoplasia were observed in deciduous teeth. Chronologically the hypoplasias occurred in the intrauterine, the neonatal and the postneonatal periods. Linear enamel hypoplasia in the permanent teeth was also noticed and related to malnutrition and systemic diseases after weaning. The prevalence was higher in the juvenile-adult age group than in the samples of children or mature individuals. Tooth size in the permanent dentition was reduced in comparison with samples of teeth from modern Nordic populations suggesting deficits in physical growth in early childhood. The sex dimorphism of the teeth was utilised to show that children buried North and South of the chapel tended to be distributed like the adult persons with the boys buried South of the chapel and the girls to the North of it. East of the chapel the children in mass graves belonged to both sexes

Morphological and metric description of a rare Mesolithic deciduous tooth from Trail Creek Caves, Alaska

This study describes a morphologic and metric examination of a rare human deciduous maxillary left central incisor from Trail Creek, Alaska, radiocarbon dated to 8085 ±40 BP, from ancient Beringia. The tooth is compared to the maxillary incisors from the deciduous dentition of USR1 from central Alaska. Genetic analysis of the Trail Creek child as well as the USR1 child showed that they both belonged to an ancient eastern Beringian population that remained isolated in present-day Alaska during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. The tooth was measured using a sliding calliper and the morphology of the tooth described directly from macroscopic evaluation as well as from a 3D surface scan. Based on tooth development the age of the Trail Creek child corresponds to an age of 1-1.5 years. The sex of the child cannot be positively assessed purely based on tooth morphology, but tooth size indicates a female which was confirmed from the genetic analysis. The tooth showed the basal morphology for deciduous maxillary central incisors known already from late Pleistocene and early Holocene without marked shovel shape

Dieten hos barn och vuxna i Westerhus: Data från spårämnen, kolisotoper och odontologi

The diet for adults and children at Westerhus. Data from trace element and carbon isotope analyses and odontology By Elisabeth Iregren, Högne Jungner, Jyrki Räisänen and Verner Alexandersen The individuals from Westerhus were randomly selected to cover all age groups and both sexes. Bone samples were taken from 94 skeletons (25%) of the population. Different skeletal elements have been used in the PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) analyses. The following elements were studied: Ca (calcium), the earth metals Mn (manganese) and Fe (iron); the trace elements Zn (zinc), Sr (strontium) and Cr (chromium); the heavy metal Pb (lead) and further Cu (copper), Br (bromine), Ni (nickel), Mo (molybdenum), Zr (zirconium). Soil samples were examined as well as several bone samples of a few individuals. In Westerhus no severe influence of heavy metals has been traced. Lead is found in small amounts in the skeletons. Compared to other medieval people the values of zink indicate a low intake of animal protein in the Westerhus population. Copper is also found in very low amounts. This proves that they did not consume any marine food at all. When using the definitions by Johansen et al. (1986) for evaluating the values of the carbon isotopes, we may conclude that the individuals were presumably consumers of mainly terrestrial food. Thus, the data on carbon isotopes, zinc, and copper verify one another. Results on the Sr/Ca in the diet and the bearing on weaning are presented. It is highly likely that most children in Westerhus were given human milk until the age of 2 years. Single individuals show, however, signs of enamel hypoplasia, which indicates that a few children were given supplementary food earlier. Above the age of two the variation between individuals increases, hinting to different feeding practices in different families. We believe that some children were not weaned until the age of 3-4 years, but above the age of 5 the children show Sr/Ca-values similar to the adults. Swärdstedt (1966) studied adults and found that the number of enamel hypoplasia increased markedly in Westerhus during the years 2.5-4. Evidently, this period in life was critical even to those who survived infancy

Vittrup Man–The life-history of a genetic foreigner in Neolithic Denmark

The lethally maltreated body of Vittrup Man was deposited in a Danish bog, probably as part of a ritualised sacrifice. It happened between c. 3300 and 3100 cal years BC, i.e., during the period of the local farming-based Funnel Beaker Culture. In terms of skull morphological features, he differs from the majority of the contemporaneous farmers found in Denmark, and associates with hunter-gatherers, who inhabited Scandinavia during the previous millennia. His skeletal remains were selected for transdisciplinary analysis to reveal his life-history in terms of a population historical perspective. We report the combined results of an integrated set of genetic, isotopic, physical anthropological and archaeological analytical approaches. Strontium signature suggests a foreign birthplace that could be in Norway or Sweden. In addition, enamel oxygen isotope values indicate that as a child he lived in a colder climate, i.e., to the north of the regions inhabited by farmers. Genomic data in fact demonstrates that he is closely related to Mesolithic humans known from Norway and Sweden. Moreover, dietary stable isotope analyses on enamel and bone collagen demonstrate a fisher-hunter way of life in his childhood and a diet typical of farmers later on. Such a variable life-history is also reflected by proteomic analysis of hardened organic deposits on his teeth, indicating the consumption of forager food (seal, whale and marine fish) as well as farmer food (sheep/goat). From a dietary isotopic transect of one of his teeth it is shown that his transfer between societies of foragers and farmers took place near to the end of his teenage years

The population history of northeastern Siberia since the Pleistocene.

Northeastern Siberia has been inhabited by humans for more than 40,000 years but its deep population history remains poorly understood. Here we investigate the late Pleistocene population history of northeastern Siberia through analyses of 34 newly recovered ancient genomes that date to between 31,000 and 600 years ago. We document complex population dynamics during this period, including at least three major migration events: an initial peopling by a previously unknown Palaeolithic population of 'Ancient North Siberians' who are distantly related to early West Eurasian hunter-gatherers; the arrival of East Asian-related peoples, which gave rise to 'Ancient Palaeo-Siberians' who are closely related to contemporary communities from far-northeastern Siberia (such as the Koryaks), as well as Native Americans; and a Holocene migration of other East Asian-related peoples, who we name 'Neo-Siberians', and from whom many contemporary Siberians are descended. Each of these population expansions largely replaced the earlier inhabitants, and ultimately generated the mosaic genetic make-up of contemporary peoples who inhabit a vast area across northern Eurasia and the Americas

Anthropological studies of the Fannerup skeleton from the Early Stone Age

Anthropological studies of the Fannerup skeleton from the Early Stone Age There can be little doubt that the almost complete and well-preserved skeleton from Fannerup was that of a man. The changes of the pubic symphysis and the pattern of synostosis of the cranial sutures indicate the age of death to be 40 years +/- 5 years. This has also been confirmed by the study of the teeth in relation to the known pattern of heavy dental wear in the Mesolithic Age. An age of 35-40 was the average an adult Mesolithic man could expect to reach. The bones of the skeleton did not provide any information as to the cause of death. According to the physical appearance of this man, both the skull and the postcranial bones were marked with robusticity and traces of well-developed muscles. The skull was of medium size (1500 ml.) and almost brachycephalic, with an index of 78.3, whereas the average Mesolithic skull was mesocephalic (76.1). The range of individual variation was large and the complexity of the Mesolithic population seems to increase as more material from the period appears. The postcranial skeleton showed that the man from Fannerup was not tall (155-160 cm) but had a heavily-built body. This body-shape was not uncommon in earlier times and a decrease in robusticity from the palaeolithic age to recent time is well-known from many skeletal studies. Genetic, adaptational and environmental factors are involved but the role and influence of each single factor is not known. Pia Bennike og Verner Alexandersen Antropologisk Laboratorium, København                &nbsp